Therese, my love

'Therese Bugnet' rose with culinary chives

Day 117
The Daily DuBrule

It amazes me to think that I have been in love with 'Therese Bugnet' for over 20 years. She is a lovely rugosa rose hybrid that is delectably fragrant, soft pink, and totally hardy. This rose blooms a couple of weeks ahead of most others and is a sight to behold. In my home garden  culinary chives have self sown all around her, a combination I wouldn't have thought of but now duplicate in my designs. 

Therese doesn't repeat bloom all summer but I forgive her for that because when she does bloom, she takes my breath away. In late June, I cut her back and open her back up again in the middle and she blooms a second time, although not as heavily, in the fall. Then the NEXT display of color kicks in.

The second reason why I adore this rose is that in the winter her stems turn bright red, as red, in fact, as a red twig dogwood. I cut the stems and use them to embellish pots of greenery. What doesn't get cut remains showy in the winter garden until I do my annual spring pruning. 

Red stems in late fall

 
Rugosa roses can be really invasive. Not Therese, who is a well behaved hybrid. I have had her in the Natureworks gardens since 1992 and she has spread only a few feet outside of the original three foot diameter circle allotted to her. The bit of rugosa blood in her lineage imparts disease resistance and hardiness and that is a good thing.